New Insights for the Future Design of Composites Composed of Hydrochar and Zeolite for Developing Advanced Biofuels from Cranberry Pomace

Omid Norouzi, Mohammad Heidari, Mario M. Martinez and Animesh Dutta
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Omid Norouzi: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
Mohammad Heidari: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
Mario M. Martinez: iFOOD Multidisciplinary Center, Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
Animesh Dutta: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-11

Abstract: This study provides fundamental insight and offers a promising catalytic hydrothermal method to harness cranberry pomace as a potential bioenergy and/or hydrochar source. The physical and chemical properties of Canadian cranberry pomace, supplied by Fruit d’Or Inc., were examined and the optimum operational conditions, in terms of biocrude yield, were obtained by the I-optimal matrix of Design Expert 11. Afterward, cranberry pomace hydrochar (CPH) and zeolite were separately introduced to the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process to investigate the benefits and disadvantages associated with their catalytic activity. CPH was found to be a better host than zeolite to accommodate cellulosic sugars and showed great catalytic performance in producing hydrocarbons. However, high amounts of corrosive amino and aliphatic acids hinder the practical application of CPH as a catalyst. Alternatively, zeolite, as a commercial high surface area catalyst, had a higher activity for deoxygenation of compounds containing carbonyl, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups than CPH and resulted in higher selectivity of phenols. Due to the low hydrothermal structural stability, coke formation, and narrow pore size distribution, further activations and modifications are needed to improve the catalytic behavior of zeolite. Our results suggest that a composite composed of CPH and zeolite can resolve the abovementioned limitations and help with the development and commercialization of advanced biofuels from cranberry pomace.

Keywords: hydrothermal liquefaction; cranberry pomace; fruit processing; catalyst; composite (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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